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Representing the 8th District of New Jersey

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Sires, Kaptur Introduce Resolution to Honor Victims of the Katyn Massacre and Contributions of Polish Americans

May 16, 2018

Press Release

(Washington, D.C.)- Congressman Sires (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) introduced H.Res. 893 to recognize the memorials and monuments to the Katyn Massacre as important historical reminders of the heinous acts that took the lives of approximately 22,000 innocent Polish prisoners of war at the order of Joseph Stalin.

“Memorials have been erected around the country, including in Jersey City, New Jersey, to honor the tens of thousands of victims of the Katyn Massacre that occurred in 1940. They stand as not only a remembrance to the victims, but as an irreplaceable reminder for all Americans of the crimes committed by totalitarian regimes,” expressed Congressman Sires.

“I am pleased to join Congressman Sires in introducing this Resolution to honor the close to 22,000 victims of the Katyn Massacre in 1940. By pursuing historical truth, we are demonstrating that these lives were not lost in vain,” said Congresswoman Kaptur, Co-Chair of the Polish Caucus. “On this 78th anniversary, it is my hope that communities of all heritage come together in dialogue so that the wounds may continue to heal.”

The Katyn Massacre occurred during World War II in the Katyn Forest and in nearby Smolensk, Russia where an estimated 22,000 Polish prisoners of war were murdered on the orders of Joseph Stalin. Victims included Chief Rabbi of the Polish Army Baruch Steinberg and over 400 other Jewish servicemen of the Polish armed forces. Until the 1990s, the Soviet Union denied its implication in the crime and worked to cover up the atrocities committed during the Katyn Massacre.

“Poland is a valued ally and with nearly 10 million Americans today claiming Polish ancestry it’s vital that we contribute to the memory of such a historically significant event for not only Polish Americans, but many World War II veterans as well. It is my hope that these memorials and monuments dedicated to this atrocity continue to stand for generations to come in New Jersey and across the globe,” stated Congressman Sires.